Driving-cap for sheet-piling.



R. B. WOODWORTH. DRIVING GAP FOR SHEET FILING.

4 APPLICATION rnnnuov. 9, 190a.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES Mm Wig/V 1 THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON. I), c.

R. B. WOODWORTH.

DRIVING GAP FOR SHEET FILING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS SBEET 2f (II) GD WITNESSES (gfVENTOIlMeM Wddu/ 3% A -NWrQMNMQm m ma UNITED STATES PAEN FFTQE.

ROBERT B. WOODWORTH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRIVING-CAP FOR SHEET-FILING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. WOOD- WORTH, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Driving-Cap for Sheet-Piling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing one form of driving cap constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention the resilient buffer used with my improved driving cap being omitted for the sake of clearness; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side elevation half in section of the same with the resilient buffer shown in place; Fig. 3 is an end elevation half in section of the cap shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the driving cap shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 showing the detachable pile clamping means forming part of my invention; Fig. 5 is a top plan, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal side elevation showing a modified form of construction of driving caps made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 7 is a plan, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal side elevation showing another modification constructed in accordance with my invention. The resilient cushion blocks used with such driving caps are omitted for the sake of clearness in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and S.

My invention relates to driving caps used on the upperor top ends of sheet piling units, while the piling is being driven, and it particularly relates to such apparatus used in the operation of driving steel sheet piling. Heretofore such devices have been constructed of metal castings, which, in order to secure the required strength are necessarily very heavy and unwieldy and are very difficult to handle in placing them in position and moving them from the tops of the piles.

In driving sheet piling, it becomes frequently necessary to change the direction in whichthe wall formed by the piling extends, as for example, in driv ng a line of piling at right angles to a line already driven in forming a rectangular inclosure, and ordinarily this change in direction necessitates shifting the pile driver mechanism so as to be in the same position relative to the new line of piling to be driven as that in which it was placed relative to the driven line of piling, in order to bring the leads or shears of the pile driver in position to guide the driving cap and through it the pile being driven. On

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 9, 1908.

Patented March 2, 1909.

SeriaI No. 461,598.

account of the great weight and the peculiar construction of the pile driver and the operating mechanism, to shift the position of such apparatus is a slow and laborious operation, resulting in long and expensive delays in the pile driving operation and adding greatly to the cost of placing the piling in position in the ground.

The object of my invention is to provide a driving cap of very strong construction, in which the weight of the driving cap is very largely reduced.

A further object of my invention is to provide a driving cap having detachable clamping means for securing the cap on the top end of the pile to be driven, and for holding the cap in position while the piling is being driven, the clamping means being adjustable so as to permit of the driving of a line of piling at right angles to a line of driven piling without the necessity of shifting the position of the pile-driving apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a driving cap constructed from rolled commercial shapes which are cheap and can be easily obtained, and which are easily and quickly fabricated in making the driving caps.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1 to 4, 2 and 3 represent flat rolled plates of steel or other metal secured together as shown in forming the guide plate of the cap. Obviously instead of making the guide plate of two plates, but one plate having a thickness equal to that of the two plates shown may be used. The opposite ends of the guide plates 2 and 3 have cut-away or recessed marginal edge portions forming slots 4 which engage with the leads or shears of the pile driver and serve as guides for the driving cap and for the upper end of the pile on which the cap is placed while the pile is being driven. Secured to the top plate 2 by means of rivets 5 are the rolled steel angles 6, these angles being located with respect to each other on the top surface of the guide plate, so as to form a rectangular inclosure in which a resilient block or buffer 7 is placed. This block or buffer is usually made of wood, although other resilient materials may be employed. The rivets 5 secure the plates 2 and 3 together, and also fasten the angles 6 in place on the plate 2, the u per portions of the vertical legs of the ang e 6 being bent outwardly so as to form a downwardly and inwardly tapering recess in which the correspondingly tapering block 7 is placed, this construction permitting of the easy removal of the block 7 when required. Instead of forming a rectangular inclosure for the buffer as shown the inclosure may be circular and the walls of the inclosure may be vertical instead of tapering inwardly as shown. In order that the driving cap may be easily and quickly handled in being secured to and detached from the piles, the eye-bolts 8 are provided to which a s ing can be readily attached. The guide plate formed by the plates 2 and 3 is provided with a radial series of equally spaced holes 9 through which bolts 10 extend to detachably secure clamping angles 11 to the bottom sides of the guide plate 3 by which the driving cap is held in place on the top end of the pile being driven. The detachable angles 11, which are adjustable, are secured by means of the bolts 10 in a number of dilferentpositions relative to a longitudinal center line extending through the slots 4 in the guide plate, in this way permitting a change in the direction of driving a line of piling without turning the pile driver in order to accomplish this result. It will be seen that by varying the number of radial and equally spaced holes in the guide plate, that the clamping angles 11 can be secured at any desired angle to that in which they are placed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I provide a rolled steel channel 13, which is secured in place in the recess 4 on the mar inal edges 2 and 3 of the guide plate, the c annels 13 being held in place by the angles 14, being riveted to these angles which in turn are riveted to the plate 2. The eye-bolts 8 are rovided, and the angles 6 by which the resi ient blocks are held in place, are also provided as in the driving cap shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The adjustable clamping angles 11 are detachably secured to the plates 2 @Llld 3 in this modification, in the same manner as in Figs. 1 to 4.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the angles for holding the resilient block in place on the guide-plate, the eye-bolts and the bolts for securing the clamping angles to the cap are all provided, being secured to the plates 2 and 3 in the same manner as in the other driving caps. In this cap, however, the recesses 4 in the edges of the plates 2 and 3 are reinforced by means of rolled steel angles 15 and 16 to form the guides for the ca plates, these angles being secured by suitab e rivets to the guide plate.

The advantages of my invention are many, and will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. By providing a driving cap having adjustable pile clamping means I am enabled to drive a line of iling at any desired angle with the line of pi ing already driven without the necessity for turning the pile driving apparatus. By using rolled commercial shapes ing means arranged to engage with the end of a pile and retain the cap in place thereon, said clamping means being adjustable on the cap, and means for seeming the clamping means in its adjusted positions on said cap; substantially as described.

2. A driving cap for sheet piling having adjustable clamping means detachably secured thereto and arranged to engage with the end of a pile and retain the cap in place thereon, and means for adjusting the clamping means in. a plurality of positions on said cap; substantially as described.

3. A driving cap for sheet piling having pile clamping means detachably secured thereto, said cap being arranged to hold the clamping means in at least two operative positions; substantially as described.

4. A driving cap for sheet piling having adjustable pile clamping means secured thereto, said cap being adapted to hold the clamping means in a plurality of adjusted positions on the cap; substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for driving sheet piling, a driving cap comprising a guide plate having recesses on its opposite marginal edges adapted to engage with the leads of a pile driver derrick, means on the bottom surface of the guide plate engaging with the end of a pile to retain the cap in place thereon, a resilient buffer on the upper surface of the guide plate for receiving the impact of the pile driver hammer, and a plurality of angles secured on the upper surface of the guide plate arranged to form a recessed seat for and retain the buffer in place on the guide plate; substantially as described.

6. In a driving cap for sheet piling a guide plate having cap guiding recesses in opposite marginal edges thereof, and pile clampin means on the bottom side of. the plate, sai clamping means comprising angles arranged to embrace the pile and hold the cap in place thereon while the pile is being driven; substantially as described.

7. A driving cap for piling comprising a guide plate having guiding recesses formed in opposite marginal edges thereof, and angles secured to the bottom surface of the plate arranged to embrace the end of a pile on which the driving cap is placed; substantially as described.

8. A driving cap for piling comprising a arranged to embrace the end of a pile on which the driving cap is placed, a resilient buffer on the top surface of the plate and means comprising an angle arranged to form an inclosed seat for said buffer; substantially as described.

9. In a driving cap for sheet piling a rolled steel plate having guides formed on opposite marginal edges thereof, and a plurality of angles secured to the bottom surface of the plate and arranged to be adjusted in at least tWo positions thereon; substantially as described.

10. I11 a driving cap for sheet piling, a rolled steel plate having guides formed on opposite marginal edges thereof, a plurality of angles secured to the bottom surface of the plate and arranged to be adjusted in at least two positions thereon, a resilient buffer block on the top surface of the plate, and a plurality of angles on the plate arranged to secure and hold the buffer block in place; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT B. WOODWORTH.

Witnesses SAMUEL FRAY, H. W. MAXSON. 

